Challenge
by Five seas
Summary: Believe it or not, Ren, today's problems are solved in bed." Sally gave him a feral sneer "I'm giving you a challenge-it's up to you to accept it or not."


**I don't own Shaman king.

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Challenge

People do strange stuff when they're bored. They count the clouds in the sky, guess numbers, play chess with themselves, drink, use drugs, learn how to play the banjo on a frying pan, or think of ways to suck blood. The last was only normal for a specific group of people, but Sally didn't let it interrupt her train of thought.

She really, REALLY needed some action. The still time in Patch Village was like a plague and it irritated her out of her skin. Her friends were succumbing both to their boredom and bloodlust and it was painful to watch-Ellie giggled like a schoolgirl every ten minutes, Millie snuck out in secret nearly every night, and Sharona stuck on the couch, watching soap operas and eating popcorn in a desperate attempt to distract herself. Sally wanted to suggest that if they were so worked up over blood, they could've taken a trip to some other city and hunt, but her friends, still waiting for their match to come, wouldn't hear of it.

And now that two fifths of the group were high on love, of course nobody wanted to go anywhere. Sally wanted to think that she and Lilly were still rational, but she was not a person that lies to himself. She knew it as soon as she walked in the room and found her friend smoking in bed.

Naked.

"You'll catch a cold if you don't dry your hair." Sally stated, closing the door. The brainy girl pulled her wet locks away from her face and used a clean end of the sheet to squeeze the water from them. The cigar bounced from one corner of her mouth to another, but Lilly didn't seem to notice. A plume of smoke escaped her nostrils, and Sally suddenly thought she looked like a dragon, high on tobacco.

"So…" the red-head drawled "Care to tell me what have you been up to?"

"I don't know what you mean." Finally standing up, with the sheet draped over her hips, Lilly walked across the room and pulled out a comb. She hummed to herself as she arranged her hair.

"You're the one who voted against smoking in the house and you can't even sing in key. You're doing both right now."

"It's Psychosocial by Slipknot." She pointed out promptly.

"Whatever. The point is that you're not so uptight anymore." Sally sat on the end of her dressing table and surveyed her blankly "You got some last night, right?"

"Obviously. Did the bite marks give you a clue, or you just knew it?"

"No. The bite marks are visible only if you're looking for them and I just knew that you loosened up."

"So just because of that you decided that I got laid?" Lilly's eyebrow rose questioningly.

"No, I decided that you got some, because I wouldn't know if you were lying at all." The red's eyes gleamed wolfishly "So?"

"I'm not the only one who breaks the rules."

"No need to point out the obvious. It was clear the rule would be broken even before Sharona set it. Though you might want to tell us whether we should be expecting another babbling bastard on the doorstep for lunch or not."

"Trust me, he doesn't know me." Lilly said

"Officially or in the biblical sense?"

"Officially of course. To him, I'm just a compassionate listener and an easy fuck. Though, I think I've finally discovered why we didn't get much of our meals lately. Do you know why?"

"No, but I'm sure you'll tell me."

"Because feeling is an art." Lilly waved her cigar promptly "It takes a certain depth of emotion and mind to reach satisfying levels of intensity. This guy was jealous with passion, I'm telling you. He really loved her!"

"Past tense?" Sally asked

"It would be a shame if it is." A frown crossed her friend's face "No, I really don't think so. He _loves_ the girl, but she's in love with someone else, and doesn't even see his suffering."

"And he knows? About our…situation."

"Of course not. That would be a very bad step." Lilly put the pins in their place and dressed in her school uniform.

"But you plan to see him again?" was there disapproval in that voice?

"Whenever he needs me, he knows where to look." She answered cryptically. "Look, Sal, I don't plan to attempt to set up a life. I won't tell him our secret, if that's what concerns you. But don't expect me to throw myself into deep waters like Ellie-I've lived long enough to know better. He loves another girl and I love his jealousy-it's a mutually beneficial relationship. As long as he gives me what I need I'll give him what he needs, and that's that. As far as he's concerned…" Lilly grinned at her geeky expression in the mirror "I don't even exist in this village."

Sally didn't ask any further-she knew Lilly well enough to know that, once she made up her mind, there was no altering it. Throughout the morning, she acted her normal, witty, self, and didn't betray her mask not once. She rolled her eyes when Ellie and Ryu smooched in the middle of the café and threw sarcastic remarks here and there. She never mentioned the name of that guy she met, but Sally's nose was sharp enough to catch the scent, despite that Lilly had showered before.

But she made no remark on it. After all, there was no point in sticking your nose into other people's business. You didn't live amongst humans for as long as she did if you tried to fix every flaw you saw into their behavior. That often applied to her own people. The world is gritty and dark and flawed, you can't change that. It was a fact Sally had come to terms with a long time ago.

That, of course, didn't mean she had to agree with everything. Sally had been born and raised into a society where women and men were on the same level, and where education came equally for both sexes. The fact that she had been born on the side that was considered by law human beings was a matter of luck. She just knew when to go with the flow and when to run.

* * *

Sometimes, she wondered if her tastes in blood hadn't evolved out of that old culture where people worshipped death and pagan gods. Her family had gone to the fights and had watched murders and rapes, slaves getting savaged by wild animals and men fighting for their life and freedom. Later on, when survival had been a matter of life and death for her, the thrill came from the hunt and the fight. Unlike her friends, who had to get their pray excited and anticipating, she had to fight them, and make them feel the thrill of being so close to death they could look at her and see her look back.

Was it so much different than sex? The battle for dominance, the fight against your own mortality…even if you're a vampire, you still feel these kinds of things. Only…a fight does not have the same emotional bounding as copulation does. People tend to get terms mixed up-even Ellie, who had been over so many men and so many painful partings, was losing her head full on with Ryu, and whereas he was doing his best to understand their situation and work with it, there still would be difficulties and they both knew it.

There was a certain polarity between her friends. Sally observed how Ellie embraced her newfound feelings, but Lillie denied them altogether, and that was also not very healthy. There was too much bitterness in her friend, and their eagerness to compensate for their past errors was perhaps a bit too innerving. Too human. She never insisted that she was any better-sometimes her emotions did get the better of her, but living longer made you more resistant. People were such…firecrackers. They lit up for every little thing. Living longer made you more layback.

Sally's eyes scanned the desert before she started walking again. The arenas were empty, the day was hot as hell, and there wasn't another living soul in miles around. Except…she narrowed her eyes at a small cloud of dust erupting from somewhere near the coast. She never understood how on Earth could the villagers have a desert, a forest, and a beach at a close proximity, but it was very beneficial. The scent that the wind brought to her made her smile wistfully and walk towards the source.

He was pissed. Once again his stupid teammates were skipping on practice, as if the bastards had already decided that Yoh should be Shaman King and that was final. Just for this loser attitude he wanted to beat the crap out of them. Honestly, what happened to competitiveness?

Sally didn't need telepathy to know what he though. That look on his face was enough. She couldn't blame him-the tournament advancing, he was running out of opponents and everyone thought that he and Yoh would be the last ones standing. She let the cool breeze from the sea soothe her burning skin and it wasn't long until she came up with a plan.

* * *

Ren's muscles screamed with pain, but the exhaustion did not prevent him from feeling the presence immediately. As soon as the intruder stepped on the sand, he whirled around, his Kwan Dao ready to slice into action. To his surprise, Sally looked like she couldn't care less about a possible offence. The red-headed girl had her hands in her pockets and she looked at him casually.

"Bad day?" blunt, as usually, she advanced forward

"How'd you know?"

"It was either that or a girl that could make a guy turn rocks to dust." She motioned at his targets "Since I haven't seen you with a girl, I guessed that something got you really pissed." Sally kicked a pebble carelessly "Although lashing out your Giant Spirit control doesn't seem to be working."

"What do you mean?" he snapped

"You heard me. You've been beating up rocks for a while, and you're still not satisfied. Haven't you thought that the problem might lie somewhere else?"

Ren, slightly intrigued, looked at her. She seemed different for some reason, and he couldn't make out why. Her features were as angular and piercing as always, but there was some gleam in her eyes and a glow to her cheeks that made them look livelier. She was dressed differently as well, he noted as his eyes glazed over her attire. Loose black pants and a clingy man's shirt-that was most definitely not her usual attire. When she approached him, he could swear that he could feel the heat that emitted from her body. Was she feeling hot?

"And where, pray, do you think the problem lies?" he asked, playing along. She cracked a grin.

"You're not relieving your stress properly. You may be able to reach incredible levels of spirit control, but if your body can't take them, they're useless. That's the problem with shamans-they rely on their guardian ghosts too much."

"Oh? That's very interesting coming from a person that runs from their fights." Ren said grumpily

"It wasn't in my best interest to fight you back then. Do you fancy a spar now?"

"That's an unusual request, since we both know I'm stronger than you."

"In terms of furioku and mastery with the sword, yes. But are you willing to lay those things aside and fight me on my level?"

"And what is fighting at your level?" Ren's eyebrows quirked. The newness of the situation was definitely pleasing to him. Never had a girl approached him with such a request, let alone a girl who he knew as totally weak.

"We simply fight, here and now. No spirit control, no swords, just hand to hand combat until we both drop from exhaustion. Since I've walked under this sun, you can tell I'm as tired as you are, so we're practically equal." Ok, so if everybody's breaking the rules, why should she fall back? Sally looked at him, anticipating. Ren still had his smug expression on, although it was worn around the edges.

"There is something you're overlooking here, Sally." He said "I've had the advantage of studying martial arts from the masters. You don't have the advantage of those skills."

"True. But I have my instincts and my experience on the street. You're not going to bow to your opponent and invite him to attack outside the dojo, Ren. Unlike you, I know how to fight dirty." She put her hands on her hips and smirked provokingly "So, are you in, or perhaps you prefer opponents that can't fight back?"

His response was to put his weapon down and charge at her with full force.

* * *

One hour later, they still fought. The sand around them was trampled, as if wild horses had charged it, the air was heavy, and the two opponents looked as if they had been at it for days. Ren had thrown his top aside, and Sally had stripped to the black sports bra she wore underneath her shirt. Her red hair was pulled back into a ponytail with a piece of string and his inky locks were whipping into his eyes.

He was ecstatic. The fight was amazingly equal, with Sally matching him in both strength and enthusiasm. Her posture was wrong, her moves also, but she anticipated his blows and blocked them in root. Every one of his special techniques was overtaken by a sneaky blow or hit under the waist or at the ankles. Unlike the pansies he usually fought (his teammates as well), Sally was not ashamed of hitting low, of throwing sand, or using her body to her advantage by distracting him and throwing herself forward with no warning. Never fight a rookie, Pratchett said, because you never know what he might throw at you. Ren was taking on everything she threw at him and he enjoyed returning the favor.

Finally, their sparring ended when a sneaky blow that had her on her back and him collapsing almost instantly with exhaustion.

Sally breathed and wiped a few red strands from her face. "See what I was telling you about?"

"You told me about lots of things." He mumbled and flexed his fingers slowly. Damn, he felt more alive than ever.

"Relying on your body for fighting. It's better when you do it yourself." She glared "Admit it!"

"You're right, it does make one feel…satisfied." He smiled. The irritation, too, had vanished miraculously. And somehow, he felt filled with energy.

"Yeah, keep doing that." Sally laughed "One day, you'll say it."

"Say what?" Ren's eyebrows quirked "We just sparred."

"Not to me, stupid." Her face became seriously mocking and she grinned "One day, you'll come to realize that you actually need other people to survive, and when that happens, you'll really want to make up for your behavior."

"That won't happen." He glared "I don't depend on others."

"Sure, you're rich and self-reliant, and you can live alone without any trouble, but without somebody to nag your ass now and then, you'll stop moving. You need an occasional disruption in the routine to keep going."

"Hah! Are you a supportive of the theory that evil only helps good?"

"Well, if the fire doesn't burn the trees, they wouldn't grow stronger and bigger than before. They wouldn't be able to withstand the attacks of the woodcutters and the men wouldn't have their limbs cut off by their own hatchets that bounce from the bark."

"Amputating your own limbs is hardly good."

"But the tons of carbon dioxide we breathe out are converted into glucose and oxygen, and people get what they asked for-environmental restoration of the Earth's woods."

"It's still violent." Ren argued

"Have it your way." Sally laughed "But I still think you'll need interaction with people. As bad as it is for your mental stability, it makes you stronger."

"I don't need people unless I fight them." He got up on his feet "I don't need anyone, Sally. I can win any argument."

"Of course." She sat up, but didn't get up to tower over him "You have the advantage of being schooled by the best, and you are the best friend of the only person you cannot defeat." Seeing the anger flare into his eyes, Sally realized she had gotten what she wanted "Fighting people, however, isn't today's way to win."

"What do you mean?"

"What if you have an argument with a girl? Are you going to fight her like you fought me?"

"You're an exception. You're hardly a definition of the word 'girl'?"

"Actually, I'm not a definition of the word girly. Biologically, I'm a girl and I always will be."

"That's not what I mean. I wouldn't harm someone who's weaker than me. Or…" remembering the way he treated Horo and Chocolove, Ren quickly elaborated "Someone who's decidedly weaker than me."

"But how will you win the argument. You're not talkative, and your skills in conversing are rather limited."

"And you are the most talkative person on Earth, aren't you?" He glared at her "And I'm good at arguing."

"But you lash out your weapon soon enough. You're more ready to fight than to wear your opponent down." Finally getting on her feet, Sally threw him a sly look "You may not believe it or not, Ren, but the arguments today are best solved in bed."

"WHAT THE HELL!" he screamed and jumped back instinctively "Are you suggesting I bed everyone who picks an argument with me?!"

Sally barked a laugh. "Of course not. But basically, it's not very much different. You have to take control of the argument and defend your cause from the position of power, until the other participant gives up. When you have somebody within your grasp, you can do anything with them. You can manipulate them, you can corner them, you can make them wave a white flag before the battle even started or you can crush them-it's all possible, given that you imagine that you could win."

"And if I'm wrong?"

"You'll never be wrong if you're convincing, and if you're confident, you'll always be convincing." Didn't she know it! It was a game she had played for centuries now. "No matter how you look at it, winning an argument is all about sex."

"I still don't understand what you mean." Ren stated bluntly. Sally only smirked and rested back on a nearby rock. Her ankles crossed casually, and her breasts moved under the soft fabric of her sport's bra. Involuntarily, his eyes examined the wave-like curves of her body and something in him growled with appreciation.

The young man tore his gaze from her assets before she realized what he was thinking and turned his attention to her face. Really, why was he going there anyway? They hadn't had a real conversation until now, they had sparred, and that was as far as their acquaintance went. Perhaps he liked looking at her, but that was probably because he had never seen a woman like her before. The only females he knew, safe for his mother and sister, were either girly and innocent (like Pirika and Tamao), or just too bitchy to deserve his attention (read: Anna). The small number of _friends_ that had been introduced to him over time had been quiet, lady-like, and elegant, which was usually a screen that hid their ignorance and poor mind. Even the Lilly 5 were a bunch of stereotypes-the mall rat, the lady, the kid, the dork and the tomboy. The last type, he had never encountered, and he was extremely intrigued by the mixture of sensuality and unbridled freedom in Sally.

And if she wasn't a classical beauty, her lips were soft and full and delicious. Wondering absent-mindedly if he could ever get a taste of them, Ren also noticed that her eyes had gained a very…feral look in them. Was she always so…open? Or perhaps she just enjoyed teasing him.

"Of course you don't." she sighed "I suppose that, as in everything else, you need to have a first hand-experience to know what it means."

"What makes you think I don't have it?" Why were they having this conversation, he thought idly. And why didn't he experience any uneasiness about it either? He hated it when people picked on him, but now he was leading such a conversation without even batting an eyelash. He was hardly a prude, but this wasn't the sort of thing people usually talk in the open. Looking around the empty beach as if he was afraid of someone eavesdropping, Ren thought that he should head back.

But, unfortunately, that woman held him transfixed. Whether it was her strange charm or the things they talked about, he couldn't bring himself to leave her until they were finished.

"If you were experienced…" Sally grinned provokingly "You'd know what I'm talking about. Of course, you may have done it before, but it wasn't satisfying. The real thing is something you can't forget. Your sexual life must've been really poor, Ren-kun, because you sure are talking like a person who doesn't know a thing."

He stalked closer and stared at her for a long time. His eyes narrowed.

"Is that an invitation?"

She bared her teeth. "Only if you take it as such."

"I could sue you for this." Ren stated

"You could, but you're having too much fun arguing with me." She purred "Admit it, you can't stand the fact that somebody can do something better than you. It's making you livid!"

"And what if I think I'm too good to be rolling in the hey with you?" he asked

"Your loss then." She smiled "But tell me, how many people would agree to fight you when you're in a grumpy mood instead of leaving you be, thinking that they're TOO GOOD to stoop down to such an action."

NOW he felt livid.

"Are you saying that my actions are inferior to that trash out there?" he pointed at the direction of Patch village "I'm better than all of these together."

"Yet you're acting like a spoiled child. Showing your superiority isn't always necessary, Ren." Sally pointed out "It's simple. You can win without raising your voice, all you have to do is get under the skin of your opponent. I'm daring you to win! It's up to you to decide whether you can handle it or not."

Before he could say anything, she grinned and took off. Ren didn't give the matter much thought-he pursued.

The wind blew from the sea, rustling their clothes and filling the air with specks of water. Ren saw the distance between them grow and his throat went dry-damn it, wasn't this woman even remotely tired. They had fought for so long, yet she moved so easily it put him to shame. Wasn't he supposed to be the stronger one?

Sally laughed as she got out of the way of a large wave and waded through the shallows. The sound of her voice rang through the water and made him run faster. Suddenly, he was filled with energy and strength…as if he had never been tired in his entire life. The fact that she was running through the sea slowed her down and he managed to catch up with her near a small patch of sand, guarded by some rocks.

She didn't contain her laughter when he brought her down and pinned her on the ground, but he was the one taken off guard when she suddenly crashed her lips on his.

This was certainly something new to him. It surprised him-not only the nature of it, but the fact that he was doing it at all. He was taught that manners, at least, were the thing that set people like him aside from the usual lot. He had money, but the people who used them as means to gain their goals were nothing but cowards in his eyes-after all, if you haven't accomplished anything yourself, where was the value of things? He really hadn't thought much about getting laid-he was sure that he would, when the time had come for him to get married and produce heirs, but he had thought that it would happen when HE wanted.

Now, he _could_ fool himself by believing he had control over the situation, but the more her lips stayed on him, the more he was inclined to give in. Only the fact that it was a challenge stopped him from succumbing. Her leg slid between his own and their thighs rubbed sensually. Ren tore his mouth from hers and attacked her neck, kissing the graceful arch forcefully. Sally's hands dove into his hair, then slid down his naked back and into his pants.

He forcefully got off her and pressed her down by the shoulders. His eyes were doubtful.

"You're not new to this…" he mumbled.

"Nope." She stirred.

He was suspicious. Oh, crap! She had been hoping to get him going before he figured anything out. Right now, he was on top of her, and she couldn't throw him off without blowing off her cover. If he decided to let her off easy, she'd just be left off with the frustration, but…

Suddenly, one of his hands came up, cupped her face, his fingers ran down the forehead, cheeks and neck…He seemed almost…intrigued.

Then his hand came down, grabbed the top she was wearing and ripped in off from collar to hem. Ren's eyes didn't leave hers for a second, but she did notice he was rather taken aback. She, however, didn't even bat an eyelash when his mouth descended on hers again, and traced kisses downward.

This was probably where she should've said something interesting…but right now, every thought was overpowered by need. A need that she had to fulfill soon.

Plus, she thought when she did a quick work on his trousers and kicked off her own pants, if she decided to fall back, it would be no fun at all.

* * *

Ren stared at her as she got out of the water, squeezed her hair and sat down on the rocks to dry off. He had had a hard time believing they had done it on the beach of all places, but right now he was more curious about why she wouldn't be even the least bit intimidated by the fact that someone could see her.

"Isn't it weird that nobody came to look for us?" he sat down close to her and squeezed the sea water from his inky locks

"Yes, we were most uninhabited." She said…or laughed. He couldn't say. Her voice was suddenly a lot more melodic than he had imagined. "Thankfully, the whole village is too busy with that…trial."

"Trial?" Ren opened one of his eyes lazily

"The Hanagumi…Machi and Kanna…They were caught in the desert last week, muttering something about killing Lyserg and getting attacked by a strange creature." She shook her head "Haven't you heard of it?"

"Oh, right…They are debating whether they should execute them or let them redeem themselves…Yoh was planning on protecting them." Ren frowned, remembering why he had decided to get out of town today "It's a stupid dispute, anyway. Those two are too bad to know when they are given a second chance."

"You guys saved Mari, didn't you?"

"Yoh saved Mari, and she was willing to make up for her mistakes." The girl was actually helping out in an orphanage, damn it. "Besides, Machi and Kanna would just try to kill everyone in the village as soon as they are let loose."

"You don't believe they can change?"

"I don't…." he paused and smiled "I don't believe anything. This dispute is meaningless and wastes my time. That's why I chose to come here, instead of staying with my friends and watch Yoh go on about forgiving and forgetting. I don't suppose you share the same reasons?"

"No, I don't. But it doesn't concern me. Whatever those people decide, it's going to affect the whole village, so when that happens, I'll just do whatever is best for me and the people I care about. My opinion's not going to change anything, though, so why should I bother with that, when there are much better things to be done?" she winked at him.

Ren fought the blush with all his might. Their match had turned into a two out of three, then three out of four, and then…ok, he had lost count! He was taking a startling liking to it…and was enjoying every bit of it! Was it because it was so much different than he thought it would be? Everything had come so easily, so naturally…She hadn't turned shy, or cold, or insipid when it had finished, and hadn't made a grab for her clothes, as if she was embarrassed. He looked down on his body, where a couple of bite marks indicated how heated their game had become, and he smiled with pride because he knew she bore quite a few of them herself. Ren's gaze rested on her long, tanned arms, and then moved down the arch of her torso to her flexible, toned legs. It took all he had not to take her once more, but he knew that it would render their swim pointless, and it was high time they headed back.

"Still…how can you have nothing to say on this matter? Do you consider that people don't deserve a second chance?"

"I share your opinion on THAT matter, Ren-kun. I think second chance is offered to us every day, through everything we do and others do for us. _Happiness is at your disposal…_" she quoted "_It is up to you to reach out and take it_."

"I never said…"

"Yet you think so. You just don't want people to know that." She laughed "Aren't I right?"

"If we weren't given a second chance, would we be here now?" he frowned. Sally reached out and touched his cheek with the tips of her fingers

"I know what you're talking about. Everyone does things in their life that they are not proud of." She sighed "If we didn't move on, the world would've come to a standstill."

"True enough."

They were silent for a while. Then, Sally looked at him. "Is there something else you want to ask me?"

How to put it….

"How come you are so proficient in sex?" Oh, Lord, couldn't he have said it in any stupider way?

Sally shrugged "Practice, I suppose."

"Oh…" he frowned "But…you're not much older than me. You're…seventeen, right?"

"Eighteen. I'm old enough to live on my own." She said calmly "Don't be so startled, not everyone is like me. I've just grown in a different environment. I've had time to learn."

"You make it sound like a…sports event." He mumbled

"Yeah, although it's something you can only do in private. People…they have a very weird notion for it."

"Do they?"

"They think that you can just rush into it, without having to state your feelings first. You can't just go on, deceiving the person you're with. If you'll be doing it, the two of you must form an understanding. You either do it with a person you love, or you do it because it's nice and refreshing. Don't mix the two of them though, everybody's a little possessive of their partners." She explained.

"Oh…" he had to take a few minutes to process the information. "That's very logical. But are you sure you won't be having…er…problems afterwards. The tournament is nearly over…"

"Yeah, I know." She smiled "But hey, this isn't something that could work. You have responsibilities, after all. You'll be the head of the family, you'll have to pick up very carefully the one you'll fall in love with. As for me, I've never imagined myself married, and I'm definitely not someone who could be accepted by your family. Still…that doesn't mean that we can't have fun, right?"

"Of course." He smiled, then etched closed to her, removed her hair from her side and kissed her neck

"Hey! Easy there…" she giggled "It's nearly five o'clock. We should be heading back…"

"I know…" he said "We still have a few minutes to ourselves." He proceeded to place kisses lower, until he had her lying on her back on the rock. With surprising gentility, he put a number of love bites on her chest and stomach, until they were red like her hair "Like you said, people are possessive of their partners…and for as long as we're here, I'd rather not have others see what's mine down there."

"True enough." She kissed him one last time, then got her clothes from the sand and started getting dressed. Ren watched her assemble her attire into something…presentable, and then said:

"You're beautiful."

Sally turned back as she ran her fingers through her hair and smiled. "And you're a very cheeky devil, Tao Ren."

He got off the rock and put his clothes on. He'd figure out and explanation for the burns and scratches…probably fake a fall. Whatever the lie, he was sure it was worth it. She waited for him, then they took off through the shallows, enjoying the cold water on their legs. Then, as they reached the end of the beach, they separated-he took the long road, she decided to go for the shortcut. They made out for a little longer under an overgrown tree, before they reluctantly parted.

"Tomorrow?" he asked between greedy gulps of air

"Saturday." She corrected him "Same time?"

"Early morning. I'll figure some excuse up." He grinned

"Won't you….fall behind from the others?" she asked

"I'm feeling generous. I'll give them a head start." He laughed, and with that they let go of each other's hands and headed their own ways.

Needless to say, later that day they responded to the nasty sunburns with a charming gaiety.

* * *

A/N-Erm...please review? Geez, what's wrong with these series anyway? Doesn't anyone read them?


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